Charles Hynes Has An Opponent

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, who has been the subject of continued criticism over his handling of sex abuse cases in the Orthodox Jewish community, looks like he now has a Democratic primary on his hands. The New York Law Journalreports that Abe George, an eight-year veteran of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, plans to make Mr. Hynes’ reelection path more difficult in 2013:

“George said he had been considering elective office for ‘a long time,’ and that running for district attorney makes sense given his own experience. He said that Hynes’ conduct has been ‘about politics and not justice,’ citing the recent flurry of criticism surrounding the district attorney’s investigation of sexual abuse in Orthodox Jewish communities. George also said the office under Hynes has focused too much on non-violent crimes, especially those related to marijuana.”

Mr. George indeed seems to be focusing his campaign on Mr. Hynes’ handling of those sex abuse cases. On his Facebook and Twitter accounts, he has been steadily posting article after article bashing Mr. Hynes on the issue.

“Another example of how the Brooklyn D.A.’s policy of non-disclosure of the name of pedophiles in the Orthodox community serves only to protect the defendant, not the children or public at large,” he wrote on one link.

However, defeating an established incumbent is never an easy task. Although Mr. Hynes narrowly beat back a challenge from State Senator John Sampson in 2005, he didn’t even have an opponent in 2009.